Kitty Petro and Amelia
by Kitty Petro
Summary: OK a girl named Kitty Petro apperes on Montressor one day and takes Amelia to her world. One day Amelia loses her temper and the punisment is to be Silvers three month old angel. Poor Amelia. R&R Pretty Pitty Please whit the Legasy on the top.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

The day was proving a quiet one for the Dopplers. Amelia was laying in a hammock and sketching a few pictures. Her children were playing a game of marbles, and her husband, Delbert, was reading a thick book on astronomical physics.

From seemingly out of the blue, a shadow fell over the Doppler family. Amelia paused in her sketching to look up at the shadowy figure standing before them.

"Yes?" Amelia asked the strange fellow. "May I help you?"

"You might," the figure answered. "I am looking for one Captain Amelia Doppler," the shadow added.

"Well, you are in luck, my good man, as I am she," Amelia answered, putting her feet down out of the hammock and sitting up.

"Well, then, ma'am… this would be for you," the shadow replied and gave Amelia a letter. He bowed politely to her, and then turned and left.

Amelia lifted a graceful eyebrow, shrugged in acceptance, then opened the letter with her thumbnail. She quickly scanned the letter, reading it over a couple of times, her green eyes wide. Delbert noticed his wife's shocked appearance, and the fact that she was as pale as a sheet.

"Amelia? What is matter, my love?"  
Delbert asked, moving over beside her.

"Yes? What?" Amelia stammered, not paying attention. She then regained her composure, and looked up at her concerned husband. "Sorry, darling, I was thinking. Delbert… have you ever heard of a Kitty Petro?" Amelia asked.

"Well, funny enough, Amelia dear," Delbert answered, somewhat surprised. "I take that you are referring to the teenage girl with the remarkable powers, who is known to take animated and literary figures from their own universes to her own home to train them in some mysterious regimen?" Delbert asked.

"Yes, her," Amelia replied, and looked back down to her letter.

"Amelia, you're as pale as a ghost!" Delbert observed, laying what he hoped was a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "What ever is the matter, dearest?"

"Here, read this," Amelia said and gave him her letter. "It will take me far longer to tell you, sweetheart." Delbert took the letter from her hands and began to read it.

_Captain Amelia,_

_I certainly hope that my messenger was able to find you and give this letter to you. First off, I am Kitty Petro, and I know everything---and I do mean everything---about you. And I regret to inform you this, but I'm rather bored at the moment, and need someone to train here in my world. As you undoubtedly have guessed by now, I am intend to train you, my dear Captain. I will give you a week to say goodbye to your friends and your family. Please understand that my people and I are watching you… day and night._

_Sincerely,_

_Kitty Petro_

_PS: If you should try to escape me, I promise that I shall transform you into a three–month-old feline child, and turn your care over to one John Silver, who I can assure you will take care of you like you were his very own._

Delbert gasped, and Amelia sighed. The Dopplers' dismay was then interrupted by the sound of a harmonica being played. Amelia got to her feet, and went in search of where the sound was coming from. As she rounded a nearby corner, she saw caught sight of something she would not soon forget.

Two people were sitting together, and singing with one another. One of them was a cyborg ursinid, while the other was a felinid, a most familiar looking felinid. The felinid turned and saw Amelia and smiled before looking back to the cyborg. "You may cease playing your harmonica, Silver, I believe she has heard you."

"O' course, Amelia lass," Silver said back. Then he looked to Amelia, who was, without a doubt, absolutely stunned. "Just wanted to let you know, Cap'n, that me an' me friend here are watchin' yeh, day in and day out," Silver assured her, giving her a flippant yet friendly salute.

Then, without so much as a whisper, he disappeared from view. "And, we are not the only ones," Future Amelia relayed to her past self, and she too abruptly vanished, just like Silver.

When Amelia regained her composure once more, she suddenly felt as if someone was indeed watching her. She shuddered at that thought. This was not good… not good at all. Then she made her way back to Delbert, very much shaken.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

A day later, the Dopplers made their way down to the Benbow Inn. It seemed that everywhere she went, Amelia felt as if someone was constantly watching her. Once inside the Benbow Inn, Sarah and Jim came over to greet them, and sat down with the Dopplers.

"Have any of you ever heard of a Kitty Petro?" Amelia asked, trying hard to hide her growing sense of nervousness.

"Well, we've heard about her in school," Jim answered after a moment. "And I can´t say that like what I been told about her. My teacher told us that it's rumored that when she's training someone, and they complain or protest, she can make that person's worst nigthmare come true."

Amelia sighed. "So… if she were to send someone a letter and tell them that they are going to be picked up, they really just can´t escape then?" Amelia asked.

Jim shook his head, and looked back to Amelia. "I don´t think so, Captain. Why are you asking?"

"Because, Jim my boy, she received such a letter from this mysterious Kitty Petro just yesterday," Delbert informed him. Jim and Sarah looked at Amelia, who now had the same look she had shown the day Scroop had told her of Arrow's death.

"Run away, Captain," Jim suggested, genuinely concerned for Amelia.

"I'm quite afraid that I simply cannot, Jim," Amelia replied glumly. "If I were to even try, she has told me that she will somehow revert me back to how I was when I was but three months old. In addition, she has also informed me that my primary caregiver would be none other than that rogue, Silver." Amelia repressed a shiver.

"Oh Amelia, you poor dear," Sarah said and gently hugged Amelia to her. Just then, a teenage girl made her way inside the Inn.

"A purp juice, if you please," she requested kindly.

"So, Captain… ma'am, are you going to just go with this Kitty Petro?" Jim said and looked to Amelia.

Amelia sighed once more, and nodded her proud head sadly.

"I don´t know who I feel the most sorry for," Jim began, a small smile appearing on his handsome face. "Amelia, who has to go with Kitty… or this Kitty, who´s probably getting the most stubborn women ---in this galaxy at least---to train."

Amelia blinked, then softly giggled, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh, believe you me, Kitty has had far worse people in her life to train than her," the teenage girl told them as she took a sip of her purp juice.

"Oh? And how would you know, Miss…?" Amelia asked and looked over at the teen.

"Oh, come now, Captain. You're a bright girl… use that brain of yours and figure it out," the teen said sweetly.

Amelia put two and two together and…

"Dear Lord," she gasped quietly.

The teen smiled and said politely, "Kitty Petro, at your service. It's quite nice to meet you all." The purp juice she had been drinking was now gone. Kitty looked down at the empty glass, snapped her fingers, and a moment later the glass was again full with purp juice.

"Am I mistaken? I had thought I still had a week before I had to leave?" Amelia said, her expression grave.

"Oh, you do. You do," Kitty reassured her. "But, as my letter said, 'My people and I are watching you day and night'."

"You don´t look all that dangerous to me," Jim said, with just a hint of bravado.

Kitty smiled benignly, and sauntered over toward them. Once she was beside Jim, she grabbed him by the back of his collar, and lifted him handily into the air with one hand behind her back. She then unceremoniously threw him across the room into the arms of some shadowy figure, who made certain he wasn't harmed.

"Thanks, friend," Jim said, a bit breathlessly, without looking back to who had saved just him.

"Think nothing of it, James," the voice of Future Amelia said, and quickly placed him on his own feet once more. She then made her way next to Kitty.

"Good morning, Amelia. How are you?" Kitty asked.

"Not bad, my friend," Amelia answered. "Oh, I just thought I'd inform you of a new development. It seems that Silver lost his bet with regards to who was the fastest… so now he owes me a full pedicure and manicure every single week. Oh, and Arrow and Victoria will be supervising my children for the day, so that my Delbert and I can spend the whole day together."

Kitty laughed, "You never get bored, do you?"

"Oh, no! Not I, ever," Amelia said and produced a small harmonica from her uniform, and began to play "I Just Can't wait to be King". Before long, her four children made their appearance, and her son, Benjamin began to sing:

_I'm gonna be a mighty king _

_So enemies beware_

Then the red-haired Amanda began to sing as Zazu, the king's major-domo:

_Well, I've never seen a king of beasts _

_With quite so little hair_

Benjamin continued his singing, with a mock scowl on his face to his sister:

_I'm gonna be the mane event _

_Like no king was before _

_I'm brushing up on looking down _

_I'm working on my roar_

His sister continued to sing and to act the more adult Zasu:

_Thus far, a rather inspiring thing_

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

Then Kitty joined in, and began to sing the part of Nala:

_No one saying do this, _

_No one saying be there, _

_No one saying stop that, _

_No one saying see here. _

_Free to run around all day, _

_Free to do it all my way._

Amanda, still as Zasu, stood tall, acting much like her mother had when she first had met Delbert. She began to sing once more:

_I think it's time that you and I _

_Arranged a heart to heart…_

Benjamin looked bored and said in reply:

_Kings don't need advice _

_From little hornbills for a start_

He playfully pushed his sister, who continued to sing even more loudly:

_If this is where the monarchy's headed, _

_Then you can count me out, _

_Out of service, _

_Out of Africa, _

_I wouldn't hang about! _

_This child is getting wildly out of wing_

Then everybody saw that more of Kitty's people now clustered around as Benjamin started to sing again:

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

_Everybody look left _

_Everybody look right _

_Everywhere you look I'm... _

_Standing in the spotlight _

Then they all sang in chorus:

_Let everybody go for broke and sing _

_Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing _

_It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling_

And then Benjamin ended everything by jumping up to his mother (who was sitting on a ceiling girder) and almost yelled out the last few lines:

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king! _

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king! _

_Oh, I just can't wait to be king!_

Amelia lowered the harmonica from her lips and looked down at Benjamin. "You are doing better and better, each and every day, Benjamin," she said and ruffled his hair.

"Gee thanks, Mom," Benjamin said proudly.

Then Jim offered, "I have always heard that Kitty could bring people through time, but I've never believed it before now."

Amelia looked around at everyone around her. "I have heard that you can bring people back who were once dead," she said, just a bit hesitantly. "Is this true?"

Kitty smiled and whistled sharply. Soon, two people moved over and stood beside her. One was a felinid woman and a large Cragorian man.

"Good morning, sister mine," the feline woman said sweetly, smiling broadly.

"_Victoria_?" Amelia asked, not wanting to believe her ears, which were swiveled back and flat against her skull.

"Amelia. It's rather nice to see you, Captain," the rock-skinned man observed with a grin.

"_Arrow_?" Amelia gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"So, Captain… does that answer your question?" Kitty asked, just a hint of a smile on her face.

Amelia nodded, unable to say anything; do anything. She simply stared wide-eyed at the two figures beside Kitty.

"Well, good," Kitty said. Then she snapped her fingers and said aloud, "All right! Everyone out!" Everyone did as she instructed. "We will see you in a few days," Kitty added. "And… before I go, just in case you're thinking of doing anything rash…"

She snapped her fingers again, and a three-dimensional holographic image of Amelia appeared from out of nowhere. Kitty looked at the image, then held her hand out flat, and lowered it down as if she wanted to reduce the volume, and while she did this the picture of Amelia became younger and younger until she looked like an infant. The image of Amelia tried to stand, but tripped and fell to the ground. Silver then appeared, and scooped baby Amelia up into his arms with a laugh. Infant Amelia tried to squirm away from his arms, but was unsucsessful.

Silver held the struggling youngster firmly in his arms, cooing at her, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Try anything funny, and that's what you've got to look forward to. Just so you understand," Kitty said. "Now… if you´ll excuse me, I have some preparations to make." And with that, she made her way to the front door.

"Oh yes, one last thing," she said and retrieved something from from her pocket. "Here are a couple of crontars for the purp juice," she explained and laid them on a table before she left.

Without really meaning to, everyone's eyes went to poor Amelia. "I am so dead," Amelia said softly, shaking her head.

"For once, Captain… I actually believe that we agree," Jim told her, his expression sympathetic.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

The next week seemed to simply fly by. Far too fast for poor Amelia. Before she knew it, it was the day before Kitty was to come and pick her up. For some reason, Amelia didn't want do anything; anything at all. She simply sat inside the Doppler mansion and watched her children play, her expression tender and haunted. Her reverie was broken when her Delbert came into the living room, bearing a book.

"I thought, perhaps, you might like to see this," he said, and handed it to Amelia. It was a fanciful storybook that told the story of Kitty Petro. Amelia read it through several times. She then sighed softly, and laid the book down on the table before her. If this Kitty could bring legendary giants to their knees, she knew she didn't stand a chance. She tried to be brave for her children, but she hadn't even left yet and she already missed them terribly. Her heart ached for them; for what she would miss when they grew up… all without her being there.

As if they could read their troubled mother's mind, her children looked at each other, then her. Without a single word, each of them climbed on to the couch beside their mother, and snuggled close to her. Amelia smiled at their care, and held them all close to her, as if she could absorb a lifetime of their love in just these moments.

Benjamin later grabbed up the book Amelia had been reading and opened it. He and his sisters read it through with her, and after they finished, felt worse and worse about what was happening to their mother every single second. Amelia closed her eyes, unable to stand the looks of sadness in her children's eyes.

Benjamin then acted, and moved on to his mother's lap and wrapped his arms about her. It wasn't long and all of Amelia's daughters were doing the same. Amelia smiled, and kissed each of her children in turn.

"I will miss you all so very much," she told them, pressing her cheek to their sweet heads. She couldn't help herself any longer, and she sniffed, tears appearing in her eyes.

"I know," little Benjamin told her, his love for his mother bright in his eyes. "We're going to all miss you too, Momma."

"Yes, all of us," Amanda told her, her lower lip trembling, her eyes swimming.

"Me too, Momma," blond-haired Beth told her mother most sincerely.

Amelia hugged her children, and silently wept, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Momma," remarked raven-haired Catherine, wiping at her mother's tears. "We'll always be with you," the little girl said, "right here." She pointed one small finger at her mother's heart.

Amelia smiled at her, and then kissed her tenderly, which made Catherine giggle. "Thank you for reminding me, children. You've made your mother very proud. I love you all so very much."

"We love you too, Momma," they proclaimed, all smiles. "Lots and lots!"

Then, a knock was heard at the door. Amelia reluctantly disengaged herserlf from her children, and went to answer the door. Just on the stoop outside, lay a letter. Amelia saw her name upon it, and opened it. It said:

_Dear Amelia_

_If I were you, which I'm not, I would make a visit to your ship. It will be awhile before you see her again. That is… until I bring her to my world. Just a little food for thought…_

_Kitty Petro_

_PS: You needn´t worry about your children. You will most definitely see them all again… and soon._

_K.P._

Amelia read the letter through again, to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Well, my children," Amelia told them, "it seems that you all will be soon be seeing me again quite soon. So, be on your best behavior. And remember…" she said, squatting down to their level. "If you need your Momma, remember---just like Catherine said---I'll be right here." She pointed once over each of their hearts, which made them all giggle happily.

"Delbert!" Amelia then called to her husband. He appeared quickly, and she informed him that she was going to the port to put things in order with the _Legacy_. A moment later, yet another letter fluttered down from the sky.

_Wise choice. _

That was all the note said, but Amelia knew from whom it had come: Kitty.

Amelia shivered to think that Kitty and her crew were watching her even now. She looked about, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Accepting the fate she'd been dealt as best she could, she then made her way toward the ferry that would take her to the port, for her last glimpse of her beloved ship.

Once on board the _Legacy,_ she inspected the ship from stem to stern. She eventually ended up in the crow´s nest atop the main mast, where she began to think. She thought about how she was going to miss her friends, and her family especially. She sighed and climbed down. Just before she stepped on to the gangway of her ship to depart, she laid a hand on the wooden railing, and turned back. She blinked, and looked closer about. She could have sworn that someone was watching her, up somewhere high on the main mast. But, as she looked again, no one was there, no one at all.

_Amelia, stop this overeacting_, she told herself. But, then a thought hit her. Kittys sentence rang out again in her mind. _My people and I are watching you_.

"Kitty Petro! I know you are up there," Amelia yelled.

At first nothing could be heard. However, soon she heard the soft music from a harmonica… coming from the ship's bridge. Amelia could only sigh, and made her way back to the ferry. As she walked along, she didn't notice the teenage girl and the felinid woman that followed after her, both laughing softly and quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

The next evening, Amelia´s family and friends hosted a good–bye feast in her honor. The feast had hardly been completed however, when the door opened and future Amelia walked briskly inside.

"I'm terribly sorry to break up such a lovely party, but I'm afraid we simply must be going now," she said in a voice that told them that she really was sorry to have to bring this celebration to an end.

Amelia was hugged by all who attended… several times sometimes. She then kissed each of her children good-bye, and finally shared one last passionate kiss with her husband. Finally, she straightened her shoulders, and walked over beside her future self.

"Here, take a last look at them all," Future Amelia instructed. "You aren't going to see them for quite some time."

Amelia turned around and looked adoringly at her family and her friends. Finally, firmly imprinting each of them in the memory, she turned and made her way outside. Future Amelia closed the door behind her.

Amelia wasn't her usual chipper self. Her gaze was directed at her feet, and even her ears were angled down rather despondently, as she followed her future self through the town of Benbow.

"It´s not against the law to talk, you know," Future Amelia said gently to her past self. When Amelia didn't answer, she added, "As you wish, but may I play my harmonica? I need to practice."

"Certainly," Amelia said quietly. "Go right ahead…"

Future Amelia turned back around to face herself. "You know… nearly half of what's said about Kitty is a bald-faced lie."

"Oh? Which part is the lie?" Amelia asked.

"That she's angry all the time. It's just not true! She just gets angry when someone does something to deserve it."

"I see," Present Amelia said, with disinterest. She wasn't really in the mood to talk, truth be known.

Future Amelia sighed again, but persisted. "It's almost like when Jim and I were back on our way to Treasure Planet. You know, only I was Jim, and Kitty was me, you see," Future Amelia stated. "Look. If you go along with her regimen agreeably, Kitty's as harmless as a lamb."

"I don´t much care what happens to the lambs. I am admittedly more worried about what happens to the felines," Amelia commented.

Future Amelia laughed, "I have heard something along those lines before," she admitted. "But not from me."

Future Amelia snapped her fingers and a screen of sorts appeared directly in front of them both. It was from a place that Amelia believed must be Kitty's. On the screen, Amelia stood there with her hands out toward a frightened-looking Silver.

"Are you sure you ain't going to gag me, Cap'n?" Silver asked rather anxiously. Kitty then came up beside Amelia and said, "Don´t worry, Silver, Amelia knows how to behave herself. She wouldn't hurt a fly, really!"

"Ah, beggin' yer pardon, but who cares about the flies? I just be wonderin' about her hurtin' a pirate or cyborg, doncha know," Silver replied.

"Now, now, don´t worry, Silver," Amelia proclaimed. "I won´t hurt you."

Then, the future Amelia snapped her fingers again, and the TV vanished.

"You're friends with that pirate, Silver?" Amelia asked, disbelieving.

Future Amelia nodded and then stopped. "Let´s see… It was around here somewhere, I think," she told herself, looking about in the nearby trees that loomed in front of them both. "Ah! Here it is," she annoucned after a moment. It was a majestic-looking old oak tree with a symbol of a hand on its surface.

Future Amelia laid her hand inside the hand-shaped depression, which glowed white, just before a portal-like device similar to the one used on Treasure Planet appeared out of nowhere. "After you, my dear," Future Amelia said, and made a beckoning gesture toward the portal.

Amelia gulped to look at the swirling blue and black vortex within the portal. She gathered her courage, and stepped into the portal's influence and disappeared. Upon reaching their destination, Future Amelia escorted her to a room.

The room was very dark and even Amelia, who had superior night vision, had problems seeing clearly.

It was then that she heard a voice say, "Good work, Amelia. You may go." Amelia saw her future self bow respectfully, turn on her heel, and leave the room.

The overhead lights came on, and Amelia saw her… Kitty Petro standing there in the room with her. She was sitting upon a throne, idly petting a very large, and very real tiger. "Good morning, Amelia," Kitty proclaimed briskly. "Welcome to my world."

Amelia didn't say anything, but this seemed to have little or no effect on Kitty. She got to her feet, walked over to Amelia and smiled at her. To Amelia's great surprise, Kitty simply walked right past her. Amelia then saw her turn around and say, "Well… are you coming or what?"

Amelia turned and walked in Kitty's wake. A moment later, she turned around quickly when she swore that she heard the tiger wish her good luck.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Kitty followed Amelia into the next room. Inside this room, there were four rather attractive women gathered, talking quietly.

"Good morning, girls!" Kitty called heartily. They all looked up, and smiled at her.

"Hello, Kitty! What can we help you with today?" A lovely Chinese girl asked, her dark hair long and sleek.

"Well, girls… this is Amelia," Kitty told them all, and Amelia nodded politely to them. "She just arrived here," Kitty added. "So give her the whole works, if you would be so kind. Oh, Amelia… our Doctor and our Dentist will be along in two hours."

Kitty handed them a slip of paper. "Enjoy," Kitty simply said and walked out of the room.

"Well, Amelia… why don't we start with our names," the girl who had taken Kitty's note began. "My name is Jasmine. The cute little redhead over there is Ariel. She's usually a mermaid---you know, with fins and all that---but she likes to change into a human now and then."

Jasmine paused, then indicated the next girl in line. "The pretty Chinese girl there is Mulan, while that blue-eyed brunette beside her is our Belle."

Amelia nodded back to everybody, acknowledging them. The girls moved up around Amelia, who was feeling just a bit out of place.

"So… what shall we start with?" Ariel asked sweetly, linking arms with Amelia.

"I-I'm afraid that I don´t know what you are talking about," Amelia said honestly, as Ariel guided her along.

"Well, Amelia… every time Kitty gets a new 'guest' she always takes them down here," the pretty Belle told her. "An invigorating shower, a relaxing massage, plus all the girls get a pedicure and manicure, followed up with a fresh set of clothes."

"Clothing?" Amelia arched a eyebrow. "Last I looked, I am completely dressed, thank you."

"Well, yes, you are," Jasmine chimed in with a smile. "But Kitty prefers to see her guests in the clothes she remembers them by… you know from the movie you're from, you understand," Jasmine told Amelia.

"That's all well and fine, of course. But I don´t even know which ruddy film I'm supposedly from!" Amelia protested.

"Oh… but we do!" all four girls said at once, giggling softly at their own cleverness.

"Oh, really? And, how, may I ask, do you all know?" Amelia asked.

"Silly! Because Kitty has been drooling all over that movie ever since she's had it," Ariel explained.

"And… I ask you again… which movie?" Amelia asked in irritation.

"_Treasure Planet_," Belle informed her, and Mulan nodded in agreement.

"Oh, after that it was always 'Amelia this' and 'Amelia that'," Mulan said with a chuckle.

"Very well. Back to this clothing issue," Amelia said. "Do correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that since I am from this movie, Treasure Planet, it means that I shall have to wear my Captain´s uniform?"

The two girls nodded, and Belle looked up at the clock on the wall. "Well, if we're to be finished with you within the hour and a half we're alloted, I suggest we start right now."

An hour later, Amelia had been showered, massaged, her nails done… the whole works, that is except for her new clothes. "Well, that was certainly invigorating," Amelia admitted, her hair freshly brushed, her skin gleaming healthily.

Belle appeared a moment later, a package in her arms, and made her way to Amelia. "Here you are, Amelia," she offered, handing her the package. Amelia quickly unwrapped it, and gasped. It was the same uniform she had worn for years, yet it was somehow different.

"Ooh! Those clothes were hand made by Kitty Petro herself," Mulan gushed when she saw Amelia's expression. "It's all made of silk, you know. Cooler and more resilient than your usual one, I should imagine."

Amelia was surprised at first, but she finally had to agree. Even the boots were soft and supple leather, unlike the ones that had taken her years to break in.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Amelia looked up from her inspection of her uniform. To her surprise, future Silver, future Amelia and future Jim all ambled in, and headed right for her.

Amelia scowled at Silver, the mere sight of him making her hackles rise. "You!" she accused, her green eyes going flinty.

"Ah, ladies, would yeh be so kind as to leave the lovely Cap'n here in our care for a while?" Silver asked of the four women.

"Sure, no problem, John," Belle replied, and she and her friends waved good-bye to Amelia, and promptly filed out of the room.

When the four had finally departed, future Amelia softly closed the door and locked it with a rather forbidding _click_.

"What is the meaning of this?" Amelia demanded, moving into a slight crouch, feeling a bit defensive. "What are you doing here?" Amelia asked Silver.

"Well, you see, Cap'n… it's like this. In Kitty's world, I'm a doctor," Silver informed her with a slight bow. "Twere just somethin' that Kitty thought to teach me, you see."

"Uh-huh," Amelia retorted, not believing that scalawag for a minute. Ignoring the pirate, her glare next went to Jim. "And, you, Mr. Hawkins… what would you be… if that scoundrel is a doctor?"

"Dentist, ma'am," he told her with a shaky sort of smile.

"I see," Amelia replied, still scowling. She then looked over to her future self.

"And… you are…?"

"Oh, I'm just here to make sure you don´t do anything you might later regret, dear," she said sweetly, but her gaze was like steel.

Amelia returned her scowling to the rather clean and professional-seeming Silver again. He smiled at her, then snapped his thick fingers sharply, which caused a chair to appear seemingly from out of nowhere.

"Please… sit down," he said kindly, yet commandingly.

Amelia continued to scowl, but reluctantly did as she was told. She watched him like a hawk. She startled a moment later when Silver opened a case, and began to lay out an assortment of medical devices and some rather frigthening looking instruments. "And… what precisely do you think you are going to do with _those_?" Amelia demanded.

"Why, Amelia lass," Silver replied in a calm sort of voice. "It's my responsibility to make certain that yer right as rain, fit as a fiddle, as it were…"

Amelia looked to her future self. "He's not going to hurt me with any of that lot, is he?" she asked furiously.

"Heavens no!" her future self declared quickly. "No, our John here is a top-notch physician, dear girl. He knows his stuff." Future Amelia then rested her chin on the back of her hand and added, "Plus, if he even tried it---which he wouldn't---Kitty would make him rue the day he was ever born. And, he knows it!"

"Right you are, Amelia," Silver agreed. "So, lass," he said to present Amelia. "Open up, and say 'ah', like a nice girl…"

Silver professionally ran a battery of tests: hearing test, vision test, tests of her reflexes, and a few other tests as well.

"No doubt about it," Silver declared as he began to stow his gear away. "She's as healthy as an ox… an' I mean that in as complimentary a way as I can, Cap'n." His gear finally stowed away, Silver gave Amelia a teasing kind of wink, and left the room.

"Well, now that Silver's done," future Jim said and smiled, moving up to where Amelia sat. "Let's take a look at those lovely, _sharp_ pearly whites of yours, hmm?"

Amelia sighed, but allowed herself to be leaned back in the complex chair, and opened her mouth. After a remarkedly short amount of time, Jim sat back and shook his head, grinning.

"So… everything in order, Doctor Hawkins?" Amelia asked, teasing the future version of her young friend.

"Perfect. I wish most of my patients were this easy," Jim told her. "Ugh! Some of those soldiers from Mulan's movie! Gah, what a nightmare. They can invent gunpowder, sure… but a toothbrush, oh no!" Jim shook his head, and packed his gear into a small bag. "See you, Captain!" He then left her with only her future self remaining in the room.

"Well, I am finished, am I not?" Amelia ventured. Future Amelia nodded, a smug smile on her face. "Well, then… we are going to see Kitty, I take it?"

Future Amelia nodded again, then waved her present self to follow. Amelia began to walk in the footsteps of the future Amelia. After several minutes of walking, the future Amelia guided her into a big room. A very big room. A room that more than five hundred ships the size of her _Legacy_ could fit into quite handily.

But, be that as it may, what Amelia noticed first was standing in the precise center of the room. There a towering statue of herself, nearly five meters high, stood with her hands firmly clapsed behind her back. The statue was of her in her uniform except for the hat, and surprisingly enough, she was smiling. The statue was painted, in all the appropriat colors to make it appear rather life-like. Not some ordinary boring bronze statue, oh no… but a statue in vibrant living colors.

It was moments before she realize that Kitty was standing down at the base of the statue, waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Kitty called as the two Amelias made their way to her. Kitty explained to Amelia that this room was called the Staircase Room, after the fact that there was one large sweeping staircase in the back that swept up to a balcony of sorts where millions of doors lined the back of it.

"Those doors are rooms or homes of all those that live here with me," Kitty informed her charges. "Now, let's go see where you'll be staying, Amelia."

Future Amelia followed in Kitty's footsteps, followed by the present Amelia, bringing up the rear of the procession going up the stairs. Kitty soon halted the two felines before an immaculate gleaming wood door. "Here we are. Home at last," Kitty said, opening the door. "So… good night, and sleep tight, dear…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Not surprisingly, it took Amelia a while the next day when she awoke, to understand she wasn't in her own bed, her Delbert comfortingly by her side. Coming to her senses, she shook her head, sighed, and got out of bed. She stood up, stretched, and put on some clothes.

After making and eating her breakfast, she decided to make an inspection of her new home. She opened the font door to her house, and walked down to the main level. The landscape was really quite spacious, and really quite breathtaking. After a while, she came to a place that she never would forget. She looked out over a scenic seascape, only ocean as far as the eye could see, complete with the biggest collection of ships Amelia had ever seen.

Most of the ships there Amelia had never seen the likes of before. But she knew ships---whether they were light-ships or not---and she decided to take a closer look. She walked out on to the long quay, her heels clicking on the wooden planks. She spotted a most ornate looking vessel with tall forecastle and sterncastle, where a good-looking human man leaned against the rail.

The man had shoulder-length blond hair, and wore rather archaic clothes done up in various shades of blue. Curiously, his torso seemed to be encased in shining steel armor.

"Ahoy, sailor!" Amelia yelled up at him from down on the quay.

The man snapped his head around, then looked down. "Ahoy, my lady!" he called back, his smile warm and bright.

"Might I speak with your Captain, sir?" Amelia called back to him.

"I'm the Captain," the man declared. "How may I assist you?"

"Ah! I was wondering if I might come aboard and take a closer look at your vessel. She's a real beauty!" Amelia asked politely and looked up at the great ship.

The man laughed good-naturedly, and waved her up. "Of course, my Lady," the human said, and slid the gangway down to allow Amelia aboard.

"Thank you, Captain," Amelia said and walked briskly up the gangway up on to the ship's deck. "Captain Amelia Doppler, at your service, sir," she said eloquently, and held her hand out to him.

"Ah, a pleasure, Captain. I am John Smith, Captain of this good ship," the man told her, shaking her hand firmly.

"So a sailor, are you?" Captain Smith asked. "I hope you'll pardon my saying this, Miss, but…well, you hardly seem the sailor type."

"For your information, Mr. Smith," began Amelia briskly. "I've been a Captain longer than you've most likely been alive, sir."

Smith laughed, and bowed his head. "I beg your pardon then, Captain."

"I have never seen a ship like this before," Amelia said looking around the wooden ship. "My ship, the RLS _Legacy_, a light ship, is nothing at all like your vessel," she said.

"Amelia…" John Smith mused aloud, thinking. "Say… you aren't, by any chance, from that _Treasure Planet_ story are you?"

"Well, yes. Yes I am," Amelia said in surprise. "I suppose my notoriety precedes me then."

"I thought so. Here… let me try to help you to understand the differences between your ship and ours. Well, to begin with, our ships are really very nearly the same," Smith said. "The real difference comes from the fact that our ships travel over water and are wind powered, where your ships travel through what Kitty calls 'space', and utilizes solar power instead."

"Indeed?" Amelia commented, continuing her inspection. Smith did have a point, she conceded. His ship from a distance could indeed be mistaken for an older light ship. The design was nearly the same, wooden hull, multiple masts, square-rigged sails. It was only upon closer inspection that the differences could be seen. No solar sails, nor could there be found any of the energy management machinery needed to run the ship.

Amelia looked up through the complex rigging to the ship's tall main mast. "May I visit your crow's nest, Captain Smith?" she asked, pointing upward.

"Of course! Be my guest, Captain," Smith replied, watching in awe as Amelia almost seemed to glide up the shrouds to observation post at the top the mast.

"Say what you will… that woman climbs faster than anyone I've ever seen," Smith admitted to himself.

"Yes, she does… and she hasn't even begun her training yet," a voice observed with pride from somewhere behind him.

"Kitty! Ms. Petro! What are you doing here?" Smith asked, clearly thrilled, but also surprised too.

"Keeping tabs on a certain feline Captain, who just disappeared to take a look about it seems," Kitty told him, looking up to the main mast. "Ah, and here she comes now," she added as Amelia leapt down precisely in the same manner she had used when Jim and Delbert had first come aboard the _Legacy_.

"Good morning, Amelia," Kitty called just a little sharply.

"Good morning, Ms. Petro," Amelia answered primly.

Kitty looked at Amelia, and asked her quietly, "Why, in all the galaxy, do you find it necessary to head out on a trip on your own?" Kitty paused to let that sink in, then added, "You could have gotten lost, you know. This place of mine is so big that even I have problems finding everything and everyone sometimes." Kitty linked her arm through Amelia's, and began to guide to the gangway of Smith's ship. "Now do come along or else you'll be spending loads of quality time with your old friend Silver as his little baby girl. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am. Abundantly clear," Amelia remarked rather quickly. Kitty led Amelia down the ship's gangway to the quay.

"Good luck with your training, Captain!" Smith yelled down after her.

Once back to the cenral amphitheater again, both having walked in total silence, Kitty brought Amelia before a certain door. Kitty opened the door and instructed Amelia to enter. Amelia did so, as she figured Kitty could always make if she made too much of a fuss.

She walked inside what appeared to be a huge gymnasium of sorts. She turned quickly around when the door locked itself behind her.

"So. Shall we start your training or not?" Kitty asked.

"I'm ready when you are, ma'am," Amelia replied, a bit surprised when her own voice came out rather small and nearly a whisper.

Kitty nodded her head, and retrieved a small notebook and a pen from the air. She opened the book and started to check what was written down. After she'd finished, she looked over at Amelia. "I think we shall start with something called 'element breathing'," she declared and began to write again.

"Excuse me, Ms. Petro," began Amelia, evidently very confused. "But, begin with _what_ again?"

Kitty sighed, then explained further, "Breathing an element. Was that too difficult to understand? Here, let me show you, okay?"

Kitty snapped her fingers, and a stick appeared in her hand. "There are four elements, okay?"

She took a deep breath, then said, "Air," she said and blew on to the stick, which quickly iced over.

"Fire," Kitty continued and then blew a concentrated stream of fire as if she were some human equivalent of a dragon. The ice on the stick melted to steam, and the stick caught fire immediately, and burned furiously.

"Water," Kitty instructed and a blew a jet of water from her mouth that extinguished the fire in a blink of an eye.

"And, lastly, earth," Kitty finished, and exhaled sharply, a thin line of dust issuing from her mouth that soon obscured Amelia's view of the poor stick. The dust quickly cleared, and the stick now gleamed, highly polished, all signs of its past abuse erased.

Amelia could only blink and gape at what she had just seen. "I-I-I can do _that_?" she asked incredulously.

"You bet… but only after a whole lot of training," Kitty said, smiling. "But unlike the demonstration you've just seen, you may only choose one of the elements, you understand. So… which would you choose?"

Amelia thought furiously. Which element would be the one she chose? By process of elimination, she finally decided. "Fire. I choose the element of fire," she told Kitty, after much deliberation.

"I thought so," Kitty remarked, smiling as she continued to write in her notebook.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Amelia behaved admirably towards Kitty for the next several weeks. However, much as she might respect the powerful teenage girl, deep inside herself, she resented her, and thought she did not like her at all.

Amelia most resented the fact that Kitty wielded control of her life… and for someone used to _giving_ commands all her life, this chafed her rather the wrong way.

It was a day later that something occurred. Something that Amelia would regret ever after.

"What exactly do you mean that you aren't going to train today?" Kitty asked heatedly. Amelia's ire was up, and she returned the girl's glare with a blazing one of her own.

"Come now, you're hardly that stupid. What do you think I mean?" Amelia asked scathingly. "I have been training every single day for three solid weeks. I am now of the opinion that I deserve a break," she declared, sitting herself down before her TV.

Kitty's eyes blazed anew, and she grit her teeth in fury. She made a twisting gesture with one hand, and the TV then showed a picture of the Dopplers. "Look. Let me spell it out for you. Slowly, so you can understand me," Kitty said, a smile appearing on her face when Amelia flushed at her jibe. "The sooner you complete your training, the sooner you can see _them _all again. Got it?"

Amelia growled in impotent fury, her hands clenching into fists; her knuckles whitening.

"Because you do want that, don´t you?" Kitty asked. She watched Amelia, who glanced to her family with an expression of longing, then back to her with an expression of abject loathing. The indecision played over Amelia's face a moment, and then she hung her head in acceptance of her fate.

"Good. Now… get to your feet, Amelia," Kitty commanded, her voice brooking no further argument.

Her tone set Amelia's teeth on edge, and her defiance flared again within her breast. "No. I'd rather not, thank you," Amelia said, her green eyes gleaming with her ire.

Kitty sighed, knowing that this moment had finally come. She had hoped that Amelia wouldn't force her hand, but now she had no choice. "Very well. If that's the way you feel about it," she declared softly.

She snapped her fingers, her eyes hard, and a white and black felinid-looking fellow glimmered into being behind her.

"Ah, Alonzo. Would you be a dear and take Amelia here down to Room 34 for me? I'm afraid I've an appointment with a certain friend of mine just now," Kitty said.

Alonzo bowed his head in agreement. "Of course, Kitty," Alonzo said, smiling.

"Well, Amelia… you enjoy your first day of your vacation, okay?" Kitty said, rather sweetly.

Amelia was clearly surprised. "You mean to tell me that you're giving me one?" Amelia asked, looking suspiciously at Kitty.

"Why, sure! Well, in all fairness, you can hardly expect to enjoy it very much when you're only three months old now, can you?" Kitty replied, smiling, and closed the door with nary a sound.

Amelia gasped as she realized just what Kitty had said to her.

"Oh dear," she said, then looked over at this Alonzo fellow.

"I just want you to know that I really regret having to perform this function. But you've given Kitty no other choice, I'm afraid. Orders are orders, you know," he said and jumped forward toward Amelia.

Amelia scrambled to her feet, and jumped away. She would at least go down fighting.

Alonzo however proved quicker and stronger than she had thought, and quickly subdued her. "Let´s see," Alonzo then said, working hard to keep down the wildly struggling Amelia. Before he could say a single word, a pair of handcuffs appeared right before him, floating in the air.

Amelia raged in impotent fury as Alonzo easily rolled her over and nimbly cuffed her hands behind her back. Alonzo then got to his feet, scooped up the still struggling Amelia, and threw her over his shoulder like some sack of grain. "Okay, then," he commented to her. "Time to go visit Room 34."

_This is it_, Amelia thought. _Now I'm going to catch it hot_. Alonzo opened the door to Room 34, and walked---with Amelia over his shoulder---to the back of the room, and lowered Amelia back to her feet. He then unlocked her handcuffs, and then pressed her back to the wall.

Amelia gasped as she heard five loud _clicks_, and struggled as there were now restraints secured at each wrist, each ankle and around her small waist.

"Comfortable, are we?" Alonzo asked with a grin.

"No," Amelia replied, tugging at her restraints. "Actually, I'm not."

"Good," Alonzo said, crossing his arms before his chest. The door to the room opened a moment later, and Alonzo turned his head to see Kitty and Silver come inside.

"Ah, here's our little vacationer now," Kitty said and smiled at Amelia. She reached into her pant's pocket, and retrieved a bottle containing some amber liquid.

"So," Kitty declared, holding the bottle up for Amelia to see. "We can do this two ways: the easy way---the way I prefer, mind you; and the hard way---which I hope you don't force me to use."

Amelia said nothing, just glared daggers at Kitty, her teeth clenched together tightly and slightly bared.

"The easy way is where you take this of your own free will," Kitty explained. "Feel like being accomodating today, Amelia?"

Amelia continued her silent treatment.

"No, I suppose you weren't going to be. But… I had to try now, didn't I?" Kitty said, and sighed. She unscrewed the bottle's top and approached Amelia.

Amelia's eyes widened a moment, then she closed her mouth tightly.

Kitty smiled, shook her head sadly, and pinched Amelia´s nose shut.

Amelia held her breath as long as she could, but as stars began to appear in her peripheral vision, she was forced to breath, and had to open her mouth.

Kitty acted quickly and dumped the entire contents of the bottle into Amelia's mouth. Kitty then put her hand beneath Amelia's jaw, and pressed her mouth firmly closed, forcing her to swallow. Amelia choked and coughed, still struggling. Her struggles got progressively weaker and weaker.

The restraints that had bound Amelia to the wall suddenly disappeared, and a woozy Amelia collapsed to her knees on the floor. She felt so _strange_ all of the sudden…

Kitty appeared above Amelia then, smiling. Amelia then heard her say, "Ooh! Take a look, Amelia."

She placed a mirror before Amelia's face and waited.

Amelia saw her own face, still an adult, and sighed with relief. However, to her horror, she watched---wanting so badly to scream---as her entire body slowly got smaller and smaller, leaving her swathed in her clothing which was still normal sized.

She watched her claws become shorter, her hands becoming small delicate things, so tiny. Amelia blinked when she heard her voice became higher and less intelligible by the moment. Soon, the face she saw in the mirror was that of a three–month old felinid girl child…_ herself_!

_Oh dear! What has she done to me?_ she thought, nearly panicking. The sound of laughter brought her to her senses, and she looked up, where she saw Kitty and Silver looking down at her.

"Aw, isn't she _cute_?" Kitty gushed with a grin.

Amelia swallowed hard, feeling the urge to panic as Kitty lifted her up from the floor. Amelia felt Kitty free her from her old clothes, realizing that they were all far too large for her now.

"Silver, I do think that our little charmer here is definitely in need of some suitable apparel," Kitty said. "Hmm. Well, she's going to need a diaper, um, and some nice cozy pajamas too… the kind with the footies. Aww…"

Kitty gave Amelia---who was none too pleased by the prospect---over to Silver, who walked her over to a table, where he deftly diapered the struggling feline child.

_A diaper?_ Amelia thought indignantly. _Oh, merciful heavens, what next? _

That was answered a moment later, when Kitty arrived with Amelia's new attire. In her hands were a full suit of pajamas, with footies and a fringed bonnet. The pajamas' arms ended with no fingers or thumb openings, so she couldn't grab anything. Amelia winced as she saw---worst of all---that her PJs were done up as a tiger costume. _Please_, Amelia thought, her heart hammering in her chest, _let this end… just let me die…_

"Hey, it could be worse, you know," Kitty said, her face hovering over Amelia's. "I could of given you a bunny pajamas."

Amelia didn't say anything about that.

"Ah, I be sure that there's somethin' I be missing though," Silver declared after fitting the pajamas on Amelia.

Kitty looked on Amelia quizzically. Then her expression brightened. "Ah I know!" she said, snapping her fingers. "A sweet little pacifer for our little girl…"

Amelia blinked rapidly when she saw that pacifer in Kitty's hand.

"Ah, now that's the ticket!" Silver said, taking it from Kitty, and guiding it toward Amelia's tightly closed mouth.

"Don't worry, Silver. This one's magical. Once inserted, it can only be removed by whomever placed in her mouth," Kitty explained.

"C'mon, li'l lassie," Silver coaxed, looking at Amelia. "You know you want it…"

In her head, Amelia flatly refused to take that _thing_ in her mouth. However, her body has other ideas. A part of her suddenly craved the feel of the nipple of the pacifier in her mouth. Amelia intended to shout, "Get the nipple away from me!" but was most surprised to hear her little voice gurgle and coo. As she lay shocked in Silver's arms, the patient ex-pirate managed to slip the pacifier into Amelia's mouth.

"What a good girl!" Kitty gushed, grinning deviously at the infuriated Amelia. "Oh, and by the way, as you most like know now, everything you say will only come out as bits of baby talk now.

Amelia sighed, sucked her pacifier, and realized that she most likely would continue to be three–months old for quite some time yet. _Great_, Amelia sulked, _just great…_

"Ah, now, me darlin' Amelia," Silver told her, stroking her cheek tenderly. "Let´s you an' I go home, eh?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Amelia got used to her new so-called life. It wasn't easy… but somehow she managed. But, she didn't forgive Silver, or Kitty for that matter, for what they had done to her.

That all changed one day. That morning, she as awoken by a hollow feeling in her stomach, which gurgled rather loudly and insistently.

_Time for breakfast, I would say_, she told herself silently. She pulled herself up in her crib, and tried to make known her demands to be fed. Amelia frowned at the stream of gibberish that she produced in doing so, and sighed. _All right_, she thought to herself, _when all else fails…_

She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and screamed loud and long.

Remarkably, Silver appeared at her crib-side in under five seconds time. "Aw, now, what's the matter, my li'l love?" he asked congenially.

Amelia opened her mouth and pointed to it. _I'm hungry, you great oaf!_ Amelia snapped mentally. _Why else do you think I screamed? Really… adults sometimes…_

"Hungry, are we?" Silver asked kindly.

Amelia nodded.

"Ah, now… now that's something your Uncle John kin take care of wit ease," Silver told her with a grin. He lifted Amelia up from her crib bed and slipped the pacifer from her mouth. He reached hand out into the air, snapped his fingers, and a bottle of warm milk appeared, seemingly from out from nowhere.

"Now, now, Amelia," he said sweetly, and slipped the bottle into her mouth and began to feed Amelia.

Amelia wasn't pleased with the treatment she got, but she was a baby and what she wanted didn't amount to much, apparently.

As Amelia drank her bottle, Silver talked quietly and gently to her. "We have some guests today, Amelia darlin'… so I´ll be takin' my wee angel down to th' living room for a mite," Silver said. "How does that sound, hmm, sweetie?"

Amelia released her grip on the bottle when she felt full, and sleepy all of the sudden. Silver then gently laid her over his broad shoulder, and gently patted her back. Amelia burped a moment later to Silver's obvious delight. _Revolting_, Amelia thought to herself, _but hey, that's the way of things in a baby's life._

She lay, all of the sudden very satisfied in Silver's arms as they made their way to the living room. Once inside, Silver placed Amelia down in the playpen in the center of the room. Amelia wasted no time, and headed toward the far end where a child's keyboard lay unattended. Silver gently halted her progress by putting one of his enormous hands under her. "Now, now… what be you a-thinkin', angel girl?"

Amelia really wanted that keyboard. She decided to win him over with her charm. She looked up at the ex-pirate with a pleading look, her large green eyes so adorable as she could make them. She then pointed on small hand at the nearby keyboard. Amazingly, Silver smiled down at her and placed her before it willingly.

Amelia put her fingers to the keys and began one of Beethoven's concertos.

"Ah, now… ain't you just a clever child, Amelia lass," Silver said from the chair.

Amelia's response to his comment was to replay the same them at an octave higher.

"All right then. Not ready to like me yet, are you, lass? Well, that's fine, you know. I've got plenty o' time, me darlin'," Silver told her with a smile.

Amelia knew he wasn't joking either. At this rate, Amelia would never be allowed to be an adult again. Well, not before she trusted Silver, at least.

She then heard the doorbell ring, and saw Silver get to his feet to open the door, to show in his guests. She got quite a shock to see her future self, her family, Jim, Sarah, Arrow and Victoria all come inside.

"Ah now… sorry I am for the mess, all, but I'm a bit preoccupied nowadays," Silver proclaimed, pointing a meaningful glance toward where Amelia played in her playpen.

Future Amelia laughed, "Oh, you needn't worry, old boy… we understand, really we do." She paused to watch her present infant self play. "My mother always told me that I was never the most quiet girl when I was growing up."

Future Amelia looked at present infant Amelia and smiled again, then looked up to the four smiling children. "Children, now be nice and play with your, er, mother, while we adults have a conversation," future Amelia said to her children. The adults all got to their feet and headed into the kitchen.

The four of them went over to where Amelia played. She looked up and gave them a stare, then went right back to playing with her keyboard.

"Oh, yeah… that's Mom all right," red-headed Amanda announced.

Benjamin stepped inside the playpen and gave his infant Mom a gentle hug. "Hi, Mom! How are you?" he asked with a grin.

"Benjamin, I'm currently three months old. I am being parented by a pirate. And, I am wearing a diaper. How precisely do you think I feel? Hmm?" Amelia asked.

Benjamin looked abashed a moment, then frowned. "Pretty terrible, I think," Benjamin replied.

Amelia blinked in surprise. "You can actually hear what I'm saying?" she asked quite incredulously.

"Sure! The spell Kitty put on you only works on adults, Mom. All of us kids understand you just fine," Amanda told her mother.

"Thank heavens!" Amelia said in relief.

"So, you don't much like Uncle Silver, do you, Mom?" The blond girl Beth asked.

"_Uncle_ Silver, is it now? I don't recall having raised you four to regard that pirate as your uncle," Amelia remarked gruffly.

"_Mother_! You shouldn´t talk that way about him," raven-haired Catherine chided her mother. "You owe him big time, I certainly can tell you that!"

"Oh? How so, Catherine?" Amelia replied, casting a wary eye at her dark-haired daughter. "why would I owe that rogue anything, I ask you?"

"Well… I don't know if you realize this or not, Mom… but if Silver and his pirates hadn't forced you down on Treasure Planet, then you and Dad would of never gotten married, and…" Benjamin began to explain.

Amelia put two and two together, and finished for her all-too-smart son. "… and you lot would of never of been born. Yes, I see."

The door opened again, and the adults shuffled back inside.

"I sorry, children, but we simply have to go," Delbert said and smiled down to the infant version of his lovely Amelia.

"Think it over, Mom," red-haired Amanda said, hugging her mother gently. "We all sort of well, miss you a lot, okay?"

After they had left, Amelia stared at the door with a longing that made her heart ache. She found herself starting to think… just as Amanda had asked.

_Amelia, what a fool you are being_, she told herself. _You are hurting your children, your husband, and your friends… all because of your blasted pride_. She looked over at Silver, who had lain himself down on a sofa to try to get some much-needed sleep.

_Well, I suppose there's nothing but to get on with it_, Amelia told herself. She crawled her way over to the end of the playpen, spotted a small plastic toy, and picked it up. She began to work the lever to lower the side of her pen, but it was difficult going, as she couldn't use her fingers, which were covered by her pajamas. But, managed it she did, and she crawled over to Silver. Somehow, she figured out a means to climb up the sofa and then up on to his stomach. Amelia was so exhausted by her efforts, she began to drowse. It was actually quite comfortable on Silver's belly, warm and firm. Before she knew it, she curled up and fell sound asleep.

After ten minutes time, Silver awoke and opened his real eye and spotted the sleeping Amelia on his stomach. _Why, who would of thought_, he mused with a smile. She finally realizes that I might not be such a bad fellow after all. He gently eased his big---though gentle---hands under the sleeping Amelia, lifted her gently into his arms and took her back and laid her down in her crib. It was fortunate---or maybe not---that Amelia was so sound asleep, as she would have been most surprised by the fond, even adoring, look on Silver's face when he tenderly laid her down to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Amelia awoke the next morning, when Silver gently shook her, calling her name softly to her. Amelia looked up at him and saw that Kitty now stood beside him.

"Well it certainly took you long enough," Kitty remarked to Amelia, "I just wanted to let you know you've finally earned your normal adult body back."

She gave Silver a knowing nod, and he winked at Amelia, and left the room quietly. Kitty then scooped up Amelia and sat her down sturdily on a desktop. "All right, first off… let's get you out of these ridiculous clothes," Kitty told her conversationally, undressing Amelia until she sat naked atop the desk.

"Okay, next… here," she told her, and retreived a bottle from her pocket. She then slipped a nipple over the end and gave it to Amelia. "Now, drink this down, and you´ll be back to normal again in two shakes."

Amelia eagerly drank down the liquid in the bottle, surprised that she was so hungry, and soon she felt much better.

"Oh, Amelia!" Kitty said happily, and smiled.

Amelia looked at her and Kitty summoned a mirror into her hand.

Amelia gasped to look back at her old reflection once more. She then flicked her gaze downward, and smiled---blushing as she now realized that she was stark naked too! "Oh, thank you! I'm myself again," she sighed. Her excitement thrust aside her embarrassment, and she promptly rattled off a series of quite impressive somersaults about the room.

Kitty couldn't help but smile, but she then made a show of clearing her throat. "He-hem."

Amelia looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Here," Kitty said, blushing now, and handed Amelia her uniform back. "You're in great shape, dear, but I do suppose you had better get yourself dressed, Amelia, hmm?"

"Yes, thank you," Amelia said hurriedly, and donned her clothes. It felt quite marvelous to be herself again. Kitty beckoned to Amelia, who followed her out of the door.

There, she spotted Silver lounging on the sofa again. Amelia pretended to scowl at him, but couldn't keep it up for long, and smiled at the scoundrel. Silver couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"So, Cap'n," Silver said with a grin. "Until next time, then, you take good care o' yerself, lass." The ex-pirate got to his feet, and extened his hand to Amelia. Amelia accepted it, shook his hand, and said, "Well, I'm no longer three months old, I do rather know how to take care of myself, you know."

Silver laughed. "Aye, o' that, I'm fair certain, Cap'n. No doubt about it, yeh are an amazing lady," he told her quite honestly.

"Perhaps," Amelia admitted with a grin. "But not nearly as amazing as you have proven yourself to be, John Silver," Amelia said, pulling a most surprised Silver into an impulsive hug. "Oh, and by the way," she added, after releasing the blushing Silver. "You may keep that keyboard." Silver roared with laughter, putting his hands on his stomach as he did so. Amelia chuckled, shook her head, and left the room. From there, she took to the stairs, leaping down them two steps at a time. Kitty and Silver looked on each other, smiled, and happily laughed softly, before going down after her.

After a year had past, Amelia finally finished her intensive training.

"Now, the best part of all," Kitty proclaimed one day. "You now get train your family, as well as young Jim and his mother, Sarah."

Amelia grinned happily.

"As for myself, I'm going to train Silver, Arrow and your sister, Victoria," Kitty declared.

"Hmm," Amelia mused to herself and Kitty. "What do you say to this idea: you train The Hawkins, while I train my family, you know my whole extended family: Arrow, my sister, as well as Delbert and my children?"

"You know… that's not a bad plan," Kitty remarked, nodding. "But, even better, let's try this: you train the Hawkinses and your immediate family, while I train up Arrow, Silver and Victoria."

Amelia thought about it. She would of dearly loved to train Victoria, her sister. She had truly missed her more than she could ever of expected. But, she considered, she'd be in good hands with Kitty, and well… Victoria wouldn't be in training all day now, would she? Amelia nodded to Kitty, and with that, they both headed to Montressor.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Once back on Montressor, Amelia decided to create quite the entrance. Using her new powers at her command, she easily bypassed the front door and alighted atop a stout wooden beam in the mansion's living room. From her perch, she watched her family and friends talking about her.

"I do miss my Amelia so much," Delbert said sadly, resting his chin upon his hand. "It's been so long. If only I could see her darling face… even just one more time." He sighed heavily, his brown eyes troubled.

Amelia grinned, touched by her husband's missing her. "Come now, Delbert, don´t be daft! I very well may be one of 'Kitty's People'… but that certainly doesn't mean that you'll never see me again, you wonderful man!" Amelia said and everybody looked up toward the ceiling.

"_Amelia_! Darling!" Delbert said, jumping to his feet, his face alight with happiness. Amelia jumped down, laughing, only to be swamped by her friends and family's display of affection.

"All right! All right, you lot! Off, off! I'm delighted to see you have all missed me, but I really do need to breath on occasion, you know," she gasped, after they showed no sign of releasing her after a minute's time.

They reluctantly backed away, so Amelia could catch her breath.

"You must be _starved_! Do you need something, anything to eat, Amelia?" Sarah asked, forever the mother.

"Oh my, yes! Er, anything that is, so long as it´s not milk," Amelia informed her.

She began to think back to her month as a baby, and told herself that milk was not the really what she needed right this moment… if ever again.

"So, what brings you back to us, Amelia dear?" Delbert asked, putting his arms around Amelia again, as Sarah gave Amelia a steaming mug of aromatic tea.

"Oh, nothing much, really," she deadpanned, then grinned. "Kitty has sent me to pick up you lot, so that you all can be trained at her place, just as I have been," Amelia said.

Jim opened his mouth, but didn't get the chance to protest even once, because Amelia continued, "If you so much as emit one squeak of complaint, James Hawkins, you may look forward to many months under my tender mercies as an adorable three-month old." Amelia looked over to Sarah, and asked, "He was an adorable baby, was he not, Sarah?"

Jim closed his mouth entirely.

"Oh, heavens yes!" Sarah said with a smile. "Would you like to see a picture of him? I have this absolutely adorable one of him on a salmoth rug…"

"_Mom!_" Jim growled, his eyes blazing, his cheeks flaming.

"That's better," Amelia commented. "So, my friends, will you all be coming of your own volition? Or do I have to call Kitty?" she asked.

"No need to be so melodramatic, dear. We're coming, of course," Delbert said, his children echoing his sentiment. "We didn't get you back only to stay behind, you know."

"I'm coming. There isn't enough gold on Treasure Planet worth being Amelia's little charge, and that's a fact!" Jim declared vehemently.

"Well… if Jim is going, you won´t be leaving me behind," Sarah informed them all with her blue eyes adamant.

Amelia smiled warmly, and led them to the door outside that led them all to Kitty's world. "After you, my loves," she said and opened it. They all followed Amelia through, then down to the main atrium where the staircase led up to the central balcony.

"All right. Now where is that girl anyway?" Amelia asked quietly, looking about. "Teenagers these days, honestly…"

Her reverie was shattered by someone screaming, "AMELIA!". It was the ecstatic voice of her elder sister, Victoria, who was followed by Kitty, John Silver and lastly Arrow.

Victoria ran up and gathered her sister into her embrace with a most obvious delight. "Oh Amelia! I have missed you!"

"Tory! I've missed you too!" Amelia said and crying happy tears. The two felinid sisters held one another for quite some time. Finally, Victoria moved reluctantly away so that Amelia could greet Arrow as well.

"Captain. It is my greatest pleasure to see you again," he assured her in his mellow deep voice.

"Oh, tish–tosh, Arrow," Amelia cried, clasping her arms about his barrel chest, tears in her eyes still. "We're not aboard ship, so you must simply call me Amelia. I insist, old man!" Amelia told him, hugging him tightly.

"Er, ahem, Cap-er, Amelia," Arrow began, gazing over at Delbert.

"Ah. Arrow, I suppose you do remember our Dr. Doppler?" she asked, pulling Delbert over to her by his hand.

"It is absolutely wonderful to see you hale and hearty again, Mr. Arrow," Delbert told him quite truthfully, shaking his hand vigorously.

"Thank you, Doctor. So, C-Amelia, you and the good Doctor still keep in contact with one another then?" Arrow questioned.

Amelia chuckled at that. "Oh, you could say that, old man. In _very_ close contact, truth be known."

Arrow's rocky brow arched at that. "Oh? Whatever do you mean, Amelia?" Arrow asked.

"All right, you lot… front and center! Benjamin, Amanda, Beth and Catherine!" Amelia called out.

The children moved quickly and made a line before their parents. They all beamed up at Arrow, who finally caught on and gasped in surprise.

"They're… That is, you mean to tell me that…" Arrow stammered awkwardly.

"Yes, yes," Amelia replied with a wave of a hand. "They are all ours, Arrow. They are a handful at times, but we do love them so."

Amanda put her hands to her mouth, and giggled. Benjamin gently elbowed her in the ribs, getting her to stop. Amanda shoved her brother, who promptly shoved her back. "That will be quite enough of that, you two," Amelia growled, freezing her two squabbling children with a glare.

"Sometimes, they are too like their parents," Amelia admitted slowly, and grabbed Benjamin and Amanda each by the hand. Arrow smiled down at the four Doppler children, and shyly waved at the adorable Catherine, who had waved timidly at the giant Cragorian.

Amelia released Benjamin and Amanda with a reprimanding look, and then looked over to where Silver was standing, trying very hard to go unnoticed. "Well, Mr. Silver… and then there's you…"

Silver gulped, looking rather pale all of the sudden.

Amelia smiled and put out her hand to him. "That's not necessary, Silver. You see… I forgive you," she said.

"Y-Yeh what? You mean..you aren't going to gag me? Fit me fer a set o' irons then?" Silver asked, clearly relieved.

Amelia shook her head no.

"Yer sure now? Silver asked again.

Kitty moved up beside Amelia, just on her other side, saying, "You needn't worry Silver, Amelia knows how to behave herself. She wouldn't hurt a fly, really!"

"Ah, beggin' yer pardon, but who cares about the flies? I just be wonderin' about her hurtin' a pirate or cyborg, doncha know," Silver replied.

"Now, now, don´t worry, Silver," Amelia proclaimed. "I won´t hurt you."

Silver wiped his brow with a hankerchief, and then took Amelia's hand and shook it firmly.

"But, lass… however did yeh manage to get her to forgive me?" he asked Kitty.

"It's an intersesting story, Mr. Silver. However, I don´t think Amelia would ever forgive me if I told it here in front of everyone," Kitty confided to him.

Later, Amelia followed her friends and family up to their new rooms. "Sleep tight, dear hearts," she said and closed the door.


	11. Conclusion

Conclusion 

After another year, everyone completed their training, and now knew everything they needed to know; could do everything they needed to be able to do. Kitty suddenly appeared then.

"All right, people," Kitty bawled out to them, "time to go back… back into the past. We have to make sure that Amelia gets here when she's supposed to, all right?"

"You got it, Kitty!" they all told her.

Arrow was having a discussion, when Amelia gave the letter to her future self, and then sat on a tree and watched.

"I simply can´t believe it has been three years already," Amelia said. And when she and Silver sauntered down to tell past Amelia that they were watching her. She began to think that even if she were so skeptical back then, this was undoubtedly the best thing that had ever happened to her…

End 


End file.
